Golf iron



Feb. 6, 1962 R. L. CARROLL GOLFIRON Filed May 20, 1960 INVENTOR.

l2osam- L. CARROLL ATTORNEY Unitid Stat-6S Patent 3,020,048 GOLF IRON Robert Carroll, 408 Mclver St., Greenville, S.C. Filed May 20, 1960, Ser. No. 30,631 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-167) This invention relates to an improved golf iron having greater rigidity and better balance.

Golf irons of standard design normally include a shaft and a blade which are joined together by a neck having a relatively narrow heel portion at the juncture of the neck and the blade. Since the neck is of relatively small cross-section at the juncture, such clubs have been subject to excessive vibration when the blade strikes a golf ball. This vibration or chattering is especially pronounced when the point of impact is toward the outer edge of the blade. Such vibration, which is unpleasant to the user, has become known as toe chattering. Another problem connected with such clubs of standard design is brought about by the center of gravity of the club being remote from the shaft toward the ouer edge of the blade due to the increased thickness of metal provided toward the outer edge to strengthen the blade. On the downswing the momentum of the blade tends to cause excessive closing of the face of the club. Since the face of the club is open on the backswing and closes on the downswing, the momentum of the blade tends to cause the outer portion of the blade to overclose prior to striking the ball. Shank shots result if the ball strikes the heel or near the heel of the standard iron due to the irregular surface of the neck or shank. The present invention ameliorates these undesirable characteristics of golf irons and is applicable to all of the golf irons with the exception of the putter.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved golf iron of greater rigidity and better balance which will produce improved golf shots.

An important object of the invention is to provide a golf iron having increased rigidity by strengthening the juncture of the blade and the neck so as to reduce toe chattering.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a golf iron having better balance so that the tendency to overclose the face of the club of a downswing is minimized.

Still another object of the invention is to minimize shank shots.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a golf club of increased rigidity in which the center of gravity of the blade is moved closer to the shaft by increasing the cross-section of the club at the point of juncture of the blade and the neck and yet not interfere with the effective striking surface of the blade.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and where- FIGURE 1 is a rear elevation illustrating a golf iron constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view illustrating the inner surface of the blade and neck of a golf club constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation illustrating a golf club constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The drawing illustrates a golf iron A having a shaft and a blade 11 joined thereto by the neck 12. A member B, constructed of material similar to that of g the neck 12 and the blade 11, bridges the neck and blade and is integral therewith. The member B is illustrated as being defined substantially by the surface 13 at the juncture of the neck and blade, as illustrated in dotted lines in the drawing, and by an outer surface 14- generated by moving a golf ball 15 about the neck and blade of the golf iron so that the surface of the ball either touches or is closely adjacent both the neck and the blade. A standard golf ball 15 is illustrated in broken lines in the drawing to show that the ball would preferably touch both the neck and the blade if passed around the golf iron as indicated to generate the surface of the member B bridging the neck and the blade. The member B thus gives added rigidity to the club and moves the center of gravity of the blade closer to the shaft without interfering with the striking surface of the blade.

The surface 14 of the member B extends substantially across the inner surface of the juncture of the neck 12 and the blade 11. As illustrated in FIGURE 1 the surface 14 preferably originates substantially at a point 14a at the heel 16, the heel being a part of the juncture of the blade 11 and the neck 12. The striking surface of the blade is illustrated at 17 and the surface 14 is generated by moving the ball adjacent the striking surface 17 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 preferably substantially to a point 14b as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. It will thus be noted that the additional material forming the member B preferably tapers from the'point 14a on one side adjacent the rear edge 11a of the blade over the surface 13 to a point 14b adjacent the forward face 11b of the blade.

It is evident from the drawing that the greater weight of the blade 11 is toward the toe 18 of the blade away from the shaft 10. This is compensated for to some extent by the weight of the member B being thus positioned closely adjacent the shaft 10 to give better balance. The material forming the member B is preferably similar to that of the blade 11 and the neck 12 and cast therewith as a single unit. Since the surface of the improved iron is not so irregular as present clubs, an improved moulding operation is made possible. The member B is thus preferably metal but could be of any suitable relatively heavy material which could be integrally joined to the blade 11 and the neck 12 to provide sufhcient strength and rigidity. If desired a weighted portion of heavier metal such as lead could be formed in the member B.

It is evident that a sturdy golf iron will result since the rigidity of the club is greatly increased by the bridging member B. The moving of the center of the gravity of the blade toward the shaft results in a better balanced golf iron reducing the tendency of the club at certain times to turn in the hands of the user. projecting parts to interfere with the striking portion 17 or with the normal use of the club in striking the ball.

Since the standard golf ball compresses on being struck,

in play, the surface of the ball often contacts the neck or shank of the iron even though initial contact with the ball is made on the playing surface of the blade near the shank. Since the surface 14 generally conforms with the outer surface of the ball, compression is minimized resulting in a more nearly straight although shorter golf shot. The addition of the bridging member B thus provides a greatly improved golf iron since toe chattering, shank shots, and excessive closing of the face of the club on the downswing are minimized.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claim.

Patented Feb. 6, 1962 There are no bottom and the top of said blade while being maintained contiguous to both the striking surface of said blade and said neck.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Churchill Feb. 16, 1915 Smith Aug. 19, 1924 

